ladder to something like heaven
by electrikitty
Summary: When one is only five feet tall, high shelves and libraries can be somewhat daunting… yet having a tall friend can help. / the royal tutor / one-shot / originally from 'royal tutor collection'


**Ladder to Something Like Heaven**

It wasn't that there weren't ladders in the Prunksaal — because there were about twenty-three of them. But Heine wasn't going to admit defeat and use it for a shelf barely a third of the way up the wall.

He gritted his teeth and jumped again, his fingertips brushing the green-and-gold book he wanted. He didn't know how, but it was a universal truth that the 'next' shelf was _always_ just a little higher than arm's reach would allow.

He hit the floor again, and paused. Was there any other way up or would he have to concede defeat and use the ladder? He sighed.

Then he took his hat and coat off and crouched to spring —

Only for someone to sweep him off his feet and lift him in the air, placing Heine on the person's own broad pair of shoulders.

'What — _Viktor?!_' Heine yelped. He clung on for dear life, his fingers getting tangled in gold braid and ribbon and medals as he tried to find his balance. 'I mean… Your Majesty?' he finally said.

Viktor laughed, and Heine could imagine full well that his eyes were glimmering with amusement. 'Why, good day to you too, Royal Tutor. But I don't think that there's anyone else in here, so you can drop the titles.'

'I know, or otherwise I wouldn't have been…' Heine trailed off, and realised that Viktor had probably seen him jumping for that book. Repetitively. His face burned. 'Uhnn…'

'Heine?' Viktor asked in alarm.

'Sorry, I'm just trying not to keel over from… embarrassment.'

Viktor chuckled. 'I see. But truly, what was with the circus act? It's not as though there's a shortage of ladders.'

'I… wanted to get it myself.'

'Pffft.'

Heine kicked Viktor solidly in the ribs and said in exasperation, 'Don't you dare laugh!'

'Ouch! I'm sorry, I'm sorry.' Viktor stepped towards the bookcase, and Heine clung to his shoulder. 'It was just such a "you" thing for you to say. Which book were you trying to get?'

Heine held onto the bookcase for balance. 'This is ridiculous; you're a king, not a _stepladder_.'

'As you can see, I'm rather multi-talented.'

'…Stick to being a king.' Heine shifted his position, and winced. 'With all these medals and things, this is actually rather uncomfortable.'

'How rude.' Viktor shrugged in an elaborate gesture that nearly toppled Heine off, and said, 'I suppose you can only get away with this kind of thing as a _child_ — ' Heine's eyebrows shot up, ' — but because you're so _small_ I thought that — '

'Your Majesty?'

'Hm?'

'Do you realise how sharp these boots are and how hard I can _kick you with them?_'

'I'm… quite aware.' Viktor ran one finger along a shelf and said, 'So come now and and pick your books before I'm compelled to say something else, pretty please.'

Heine took the book he'd been wanting, fuming all the while. Then he checked the row again, and took a second book from the shelf. 'Thank you, you may put me down.'

Viktor carefully lifted Heine over his head and set him on the floor, but the little tutor wasn't done. He held up the second book he'd taken, and pointed to the long row of matching volumes on the shelf. 'And I'll need all of those. Carry them for me.'

Viktor turned to see what he was talking about. 'What?' Then he saw the books. For a heartbeat he tried to smile, thinking it was a joke. Then he realised that Heine wasn't kidding and his face fell as though he'd just watched someone kick a puppy. 'A-All of them? Surely you only need one or two a-at most, right…?'

Heine shook his head, retrieved his coat and hat, and tucked his two books under his arm. 'I may need some of the others for cross-referencing, and how am I meant to know which ones I'll need? Come along, I haven't got all day.'

And Viktor had no choice but to take the books and pile them on the table, before hefting the entire stack and following Heine out the door with the other twenty-five volumes of the national library's encyclopaedia collection in his arms.

They turned heads all the way down the palace's hallways, and Helene — one of many people who stopped dead to stare — paused and touched a hand to her lips. 'My, I didn't know His Majesty was such an avid reader!'

Viktor was probably about ready to sink through the floor by now. 'Heine, you are absolutely terrible,' he whimpered. But Heine couldn't even see his face past the books, so the king's pleading expression had no effect. 'Have mercy, I beg of you. And these are tremendously heavy…'

Heine merely continued on his way, already planning how best to fit the volumes into his messy room. 'No, _you're_ terrible.' He lightly patted Viktor on the arm, now that they were out of sight of all the spectators. 'Consider this retribution, Your Majesty.'

Viktor gave him a weary grin. 'Heaven forbid that someone try and take you on in a library again. That was strategy fit to outdo my advisors' counsel.'

As Heine took out his key and unlocked the door to his room, he couldn't help but see Viktor's trembling arms and miserable expression. He softened, just a little. 'Come now, help me put these away and we can share a glass of wine afterwards, how does that sound?'

Viktor's face lit up like someone had flipped a switch, and he grinned. 'Sounds fabulous.'

Heine _tsked_ and the two of them went inside. 'I almost wondered if you engineered that just to get a reward out of me, somehow…'

Viktor shrugged, and slammed the books down on a table. 'Perhaps.' He smiled. 'Or maybe I was looking for an excuse to drop by and say hello.'

Heine smiled back. 'In that case, there are some high shelves I've been wanting to reorganise...'

'_Heineee!_'

'For goodness' sake, it's called earning your keep.' Heine the first book from the pile. 'Work first and _then_ drinks.'

Viktor laughed. 'Sure.'

_The End_

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**A/N:** Reviews welcome, and thanks for reading!


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